Dad Gets Traffic Tickets After Saving Son From Cliff

[Hum]

A New Jersey dad got the scare of his life when his 5-year-old son almost ran off a steep embankment, and though the man saved the boy from falling, he couldn't stop his Jeep from going over the precipice and into a river below.

The reward for his ordeal? Two traffic tickets from local police.

Frank Roder, a construction worker from the town of Winfield Park, had taken his son, Aidan, down to the Rahway River to feed ducks Thursday. But when he stopped briefly before settling on a parking space, the impatient boy jumped out and took off -- straight toward a ledge 35 feet above the river, Roder recalled.

"He hopped out, and I thought that was OK, I was just going to park," Roder, 38, said, but "he just took off, made a beeline for the edge."

The panic-stricken father jumped out of the cab of his 2006 Jeep Commander and raced after the errant boy, catching him just feet from the edge.

That's when Aidan, eyes as big as saucers, looked behind Roder and said, "Um, Daddy ..."

Roder turned in time to see the Jeep nosedive down the embankment and land in the muddy water.

Roder hugged the boy and waited as Union County police converged on the scene over the next few hours. A crane pulled the Jeep out, and amazingly, it started right up, though Roder is pretty sure his insurance company will count it as totaled.

He was counting his blessings when a young cop approached him and handed him two tickets. One was for failure to produce the insurance card, which was somewhere in the waterlogged cab. The other was for failing to use his emergency brake.

"I couldn't believe it," Roder said. "He said, 'If you would have taken the five seconds to apply the brake, this never would have happened!'

"I say, 'Really? And if I did and my boy stepped over the edge and fell instead of the Jeep, then were would I be?' He says, 'Jail, for child endangerment.'"

Too awful to contemplate is the fact the Roder almost took his six-week-old son Joel along for the ride.

"At the last minute, I told my wife to take him," Roder said. "I can't even think about that."

Union County Police Chief Daniel Vaniska told FoxNews.com that his officers have some discretion about when and when not to write a ticket. But he said he just didn't have enough information to second-guess what this officer did.

"It probably could have gone either way," Vaniska said. "I can't comment on the discretionary practices of an officer, but certainly, the fellow will have an opportunity to tell his story in court."

Municipal Court is where Roder might get some sympathy -- and maybe forbearance on those tickets, which are for $50 and $60. His date is May 30.

"I don't care, I'll pay it," Roder said. "It's just the principle. When something like that happens so fast, I could give a rat's a-- about the car."

source

[Rippleman]

Sounds like a bit more is left out of the story, as typical with sensationalist writings.

[Charisma Veteran]

What a smartass, heartless cop. What really got me was his response to the dad's question. In jail for child endangerment? Kids do things like what that kid did *all the time*. He was being a good father putting his son before the car.

Hope they dismiss those tickets, but you know, I guess they aren't so much. What's $110 compared to what could have happened? Doesn't excuse the cop from being a class A asshat, though.

[The Laughing Man]

That cop is a douche. Was probably more worried about not meeting his monthly quota than anything. When he goes to court for the tickets he can ask the judge to throw the case out, more than likely he will.

[x-scratch]

some cops are cool however this cop had no heart

[ShMaunder]

Sounds like a bit more is left out of the story, as typical with sensationalist writings.

Couldn't agree more.

I stopped after reading this line to check if this was a daily fail story "The panic-stricken father jumped out of the cab of his 2006 Jeep Commander and raced after the errant boy, catching him just feet from the edge.".

What would people think though if the vehicle had rolled down the hill and killed a whole class of school children. Did the father know 100% that by leaving the vehicle in that state, it wouldn't be a danger to anyone.

[majortom1981]

You cannot blast the cop for what the guy is saying the cop said. You need to listen to the cops recording to hear what he actually said.

I can see giving him a parking brake ticket. my 2004 corolla's parking brake is a hand pull one and takes literally 4 seconds to lift up and engage. The insurance one I would have let him slide on.

[The Laughing Man]

Couldn't agree more.

I stopped after reading this line to check if this was a daily fail story "The panic-stricken father jumped out of the cab of his 2006 Jeep Commander and raced after the errant boy, catching him just feet from the edge.".

What would people think though if the vehicle had rolled down the hill and killed a whole class of school children. Did the father know 100% that by leaving the vehicle in that state, it wouldn't be a danger to anyone.

Yet that didn't happen so it does not matter.

[Hum]

Sounds like a bit more is left out of the story, as typical with sensationalist writings.

And exactly what do you think was 'left out' ... ? :laugh:

I do think Dad shoulda put on the brake.

[The Laughing Man]

You cannot blast the cop for what the guy is saying the cop said. You need to listen to the cops recording to hear what he actually said.

I can see giving him a parking brake ticket. my 2004 corolla's parking brake is a hand pull one and takes literally 4 seconds to lift up and engage. The insurance one I would have let him slide on.

Look i'm only going to say this once, When you kid's life is on the line your mind goes in a different state of thought. He could have sat there and contemplated on the handbrake or even finding his insurance info or whatever. The fact is his sole thoughts were to save his kid at any cost, not to worry about what state his truck was in at the time.

[ShMaunder]

Yet that didn't happen so it does not matter.

I'm aware that it didn't happen. But the cop gave him a ticket because it could have happened? Its like being given a ticket for having bald tyres after racing to get your kid to a hospital - you are far more likely to loose control and killed lots of people.

Obviously, the insurance ticket is pretty stupid but I actually agree to some extent with the hand break ticket. He should have had better control of the situation and had child locks in place etc.

[abecedarian paradoxious]

http://www.nj.gov/lps/hts/childseats/childseats_newlaw.html : "Children under 8 years of age who weigh less than 80 pounds to ride properly secured in a child safety seat or booster seat in the rear seat of the vehicle. If there is no rear seat, the child may sit in the front seat, but s/he must be secured by a child safety seat or booster seat."

The kid should've been in a child's car seat or booster seat and in the back seat of the vehicle.

[Arachno 1D]

With the child proof door locks on........

[Kelxin]

Some people need to read more carefully...

"A New Jersey dad - 5-year-old son - the impatient boy jumped out and took off -- straight toward a ledge 35 feet above the river"

So, if a parent can't keep his FIVE year old son in the car, he SHOULD get a ticket for child endangerment. Doesn't matter if he needs child locks, a straight jacket, hand cuffs, or duck tape, if he can't control his 50 pound child, he needs to pay whatever penalties there are for the actions that are caused because of it.

[Growled Member]

And cops wonder why people hate them.

[techbeck]

Witnesses backing up the guys claim about his son or just some dumbass moron who forget to use his parking brake?

Easy to call bad cop here but there is not enough info. The guy could of made up the story.